Moments
by Smapdi
Summary: Several related one shots capturing moments in the life of those two. Some may tread on adult in nature but nothing detailed, just implied, a couple of naked people hanging out, and so on.
1. Chapter 1

There's that moment when you wake up in a strange place, in a bed that's not your own. The disorientation you feel for just a few seconds - where am I, what's going on, and when applicable, who is that? I was bleary and lost in a very dark room lit by only the led lights of an alarm clock, and really, who uses those anymore because, phones! And then it came back in a rush, with the rattling exhale of breath from the sleeping form next to me, and OF COURSE the alarm clock made sense because it was Danny.

Oh boy.

My bladder compelled me to arise and I silently cursed it's incompetence because navigating this black hole to find the bathroom without waking sleeping beauty was a puzzle I was ill prepared to address. I laid there for a moment, sheets tangled around my midsection, the chilly room giving my exposed breasts maximum nipplage, and tried to remember where I might have left my phone. It's an excellent flashlight in a pinch. Alas, finding it, or most of my clothing, would have to be left for daylight, so I slipped off the mattress and carefully made my way to pee in the dark. I'm not ashamed of this skill. I debated the flush/no flush question and decided letting it mellow would be more humiliating than waking him up. It was a low flow jobber anyway and when I peeked around the door, he was still sleeping heavily.

That task completed, I was wide awake and now quite thirsty, so the next adventure would be to scavenge some water. As long as he stayed asleep and didn't mistake me for a swarthy nude burglar I figured I was safe. I managed to get out of the bedroom without crashing into anything, a small miracle, and wall walked until I found a switch that bathed the kitchen in blinding, horrific light. Okay, just find water and go back to bed, or should I find my blouse first? No, just water, then sleep.

I grabbed a glass and opened Danny's fridge, thinking from his obsession with fizzy waters, I would have a vast selection. Wrong. Apparently in planning for his trip he emptied the it of everything but beer and condiments, which he had in spades, but otherwise there were just a couple of bottled waters of the plain wrap variety. Beggars not trying to be choosers, I grabbed one just as I heard, in what was appearing to be a recurring theme whenever I had a water bottle in my hands, a gravelly voice saying "Hey."

I don't know how high I jumped or how loud I shrieked, but the water flew out of my hands and I ducked behind the refrigerator door and peeked out to see the penis of Danny Castellano greeting me. That's really all you see when there's a naked man standing there, no matter how hard you try to avoid making eye contact with it. I mean, the entire Danny was there, not just the penis, because that's even more traumatic imagery, but still. Penis. It doesn't matter how intimately I got to know said penis just hours before, it was still awkward as fuck.

"Hey!" I said to the wall over his shoulder. "I was just getting a drink." Go back to bed, let me maintain the tiniest bit of dignity, if that's even possible with my ass in the deli drawer, I silently prayed. I try to avoid drama but internally I was feeling the need to flip the fuck out.

"Grab me a water too, would ya?" He asked with a grin spreading across his face. I fumbled about with my hand behind me but kept finding beers. Finally I turned around, necessitating a slight opening of the door to allow me room to move and as I did that, he closed the distance between us and came up behind me.

"Why are you hiding in my fridge?" He asked, placing on hand on my hip and using the other to sweep the hair off my shoulders. I felt his breath just before his lips met the nape of my neck.

"The... uh... lighting in here is really bad." Oh god please stop. I can't right now. Tingles ran through me and I closed my eyes to try and regroup. Bare ass naked in the kitchen with my friend/coworker/baloney pony partner was not where I wanted to be.

He exhaled loudly against my skin, like a frustrated stallion, and moved his attention to my jawline, slipping his lips over my earlobe. I had this sudden image of feeding him sugar cubes from the palm of my hand and let out a burst of nervous laughter.

"Was that funny to you?" Am I a clown? Do I amuse you?

"It tickled, Goodfella." I shied my face away because the contact was too much and I needed to sleep, to avoid figuring out what the hell I was going to do with my life. This did not dissuade him. He slipped his hand out of my hair and and ran it down my shoulder to cup my breast, muttering in my ear.

"Did we not establish that I'm good with you naked?" I nodded as his other hand dug into my hip then moseyed down my thigh. "Do I need to remind you?" He ran his lips down my neck and without even using his hands reminded me, insistently, that at least part of him was very good indeed. Damn, that was quick. Before he got the bright idea to bend me over the veggie crisper, I twisted around and put my hands on his chest, pushing him back, so I could duck back into the safety of the fridge.

"I appreciate that, Danny, but you can't instantly erase twenty years of body image issues with a boner. As lovely as that boner is..." I didn't want to hurt his feelings, because it was lovely and he could do fabulous things with it. I'd just prefer mood lighting, not the surgical suite equivalent he had installed in the kitchen.

"Okay." He was still grinning and fondling. I would not be seduced. Again.

"This is wasting electricity. How about you go to bed and I'll bring you some water and we can go back to sleep." Yeah, 'cause nothing major happened last the I made that offer.

"How about no." He grinned at me and that twinkle in his eye told me sleeping was not on the agenda quite yet. With one hand on the fridge door, trapping me in, he reached his other hand past me to grab a bottle, never taking his eyes off me. He must have great peripheral vision. He quickly unscrewed the cap and took a deep drink, then tipped the bottle towards my lips. I felt a smile creeping up on me and tried to tamp it down. I sipped from the bottle as he tilted it, then felt the cold splash as he "accidentally" spilled it down my chest. I gasped and he grinned even wider and leaned in to lick the droplets off me. Bastard. He could probably feel my rapid pulse against his mouth and he knew he was winning. His mouth found mine and I had to hold on to him to steady myself.

Suddenly i had an image of the neighbor chick and the chocolate sauce story and I was wildly, inappropriately jealous. I pushed him away again. Sorry, buddy, you aren't having a condiment party on my tuchus. If you want to reenact 9 1/2 Weeks, you need to restock.

"Danny, we need to get up early. Sleep is important for someone of your age."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I think it's ok if we're a little late."

I sighed, shook my head, wriggled from his grasp, well, attempted at least. Not that hard. I didn't really want to get away. There was something so wildly appealing about this side of Danny, one I had only seen glimpses of in the past. He was so playful and open and hell, I guess happy, that it made me feel all those things too. If I had known that all it took was banging him to bring this out, I would have done it years ago.

He pulled me out of the fridge and closed it. "You wanna go back to bed, let's go." His voice was like warm syrup drizzling all over me, which incidentally didn't sound like a terrible idea. I could feel my resolve melting like vanilla ice cream on a warm day, which also sounded pretty good, and I hadn't checked the freezer... No. I refuse to be a human buffet. At least right now. Right now, sleep, because in the morning light, everything will be easier to handle.

We walked back to the bedroom and he flipped off the kitchen light. Instantly, I relaxed. I slid into the cool sheets and felt his warm body slip next to me, barely making contact, waiting for a signal that it was ok to stall sleep just a little while, because that was the kinda guy he was. I curled into him, letting my lips roam, sliding my legs against his, running my hand down to grasp him and coax him, because that was the kinda girl I was... am. I can sleep when I'm dead, and a little death awaits.


	2. Chapter 2

**This "chapter" is another one-shot, farther along the journey, written in third person from Danny's POV. Additional notes at end...**

"Everyone, style down. Where are Morgan and Peter? I swear, those two need a nanny..." Managing partner Dr. Jeremy Reed was attempting to gather the entire staff for a meeting. He had been trying to accomplish this for months but was always foiled by an emergency delivery or other random event. "Fine, I'll go find them." He said to no one in particular.

At the end of the rectangular table, the two remaining doctors sat across from each other. Mindy had her earbuds in and was in her own little world. Danny sat across from her trying to focus his attention on anything else and he, too, was failing. He would glance at the nurses chatting and giggling over their phones, and back to Mindy, then look away to see if anyone noticed.

It wasn't like he was trying to hide anything. It was just an unspoken agreement they had that they weren't going to go of their way to confirm, or deny, anything. It was too new, too raw, to expose to the prying eyes and gossipy tongues of the rest of the work crew. So Danny kept his distance and attempted to keep things as normal as possible while they were on the clock, and so far, so good.

But moments like this he found himself so drawn to her that he thought that anyone who looked at him would instantly know. She had her eyes closed, a tiny smile on her lips, and she was swaying to the beat of whatever pop tune she was obsessed with this week. It physically hurt him, how stupid in love he was, pain that was exquisitely sweet. . He was captivated, and as if she could feel his stare, she opened her eyes and stared back. Her smile tugged her lips upwards and then she mimed a kiss at him and closed her eyes again.

Danny quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed. No one was even looking his direction. He had to admit, there was an extra thrill in keeping this little secret, having something only the two of them shared. Feeling safe, he gazed back at her. She had a new cadence to her movements, undulating her torso in a way that resembled how she moved on top of him this morning, and he was instantly flushed at the memory. A muscle pulsed in his jaw as he gritted his teeth, unable to look away. She had to know what this was doing to him.

Just then, Morgan entered the room with a loud exclamation of "My people!" Danny quickly looked away, but not before Morgan caught him, as evidenced by his squinting grin and the questioning tone in his voice. "Dr. C?"

Danny felt like a teenager caught peeping in the girl's locker room. He rubbed his neck and met Morgan's inquiring eyes and decided to man up. "Morgan. Sit down. Dr. Reed really wants this meeting to commence." Man up by ignoring everything, that is.

"Okay, Dr. C." Morgan obeyed and sat with a shit eating grin on his face. Danny knew for all Morgan's quirks, he was at heart a good guy, and decided there was no harm in letting him have whatever he thought he had... He didn't know. Not even Mindy knew how far gone he was for her, so what the hell was he worried about Morgan for?

Jeremy finally returned with Peter in tow and began his presentation. Mindy popped out her earbuds and gave a wide smile to the room in general, but lingered a bit longer when her eyes met Danny's. Jeremy had handouts and spreadsheets and instructions and Danny couldn't help but zone out as most of the subjects had already been run by him earlier in the week.

Until he felt a foot nudge at his ankle. He glanced at Mindy, who appeared to be listening intently to the discussion of sanitation issues, and moved his foot slightly away. The nudge returned, but this time, the stray foot slid under his pant leg to slowly caress his calf.

He looked back at Mindy, who would still not meet his eye, but he could see a smile playing on her lips. He decided to just ignore her silliness and tried again to move away.

The foot slipped off his calf and was gone for a moment, to his great relief, but it returned with a vengeance. This time, her foot slid up his thigh and landed in his lap. Danny inhaled suddenly and then began coughing violently, causing the room to quiet and all eyes to turn to him.

"Dr. C, are you okay?" Morgan asked worriedly. Danny nodded and gasped out that he was fine. Mindy looked ant the ceiling and stifled her grin, but her foot remained in place, stroking him gently. The presentation continued and Danny finally caught Mindy's eye, so he mouthed "stop it" before looking away. She sighed loudly before removing the offending limb from his lap.

By the time Jeremy was done lecturing, Danny's pulse was back to normal and the blood had returned to his head. As everyone rose to leave, Jeremy asked Danny to stay behind for a moment. Mindy seized this opportunity as she walked behind his chair to exit.

"Uh oh... Sounds like Danny has been a bad boy." She lightly ran her nails across his broad shoulders as she passed behind him. "Let me know if you need a spanking." She murmured in his ear and then she was gone. Danny cursed her ability to get him aroused at the slightest touch.

"What's going on, Jeremy?" He asked the remaining partner.

"Look, Danny, something has become painfully obvious. I believe we have an issue with employee fraternization." Jeremy crossed his arms across his chest and leaned in the table, looking down at Danny, who was suddenly more nervous and sweaty than usual.

"What, ah, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Danny. Really? Don't play dumb. All the lingering glances, the unnecessary touches, the tension - you don't think I've noticed?"

Danny was floored. Of all the people who would have picked up on it, Jeremy was probably the last he'd expect. He was just too self involved.

"Of course, it helps that Morgan is like an open book about that girl, but I'm worried. If she doesn't return his affections, we could have another harassment suit on our hands. He does strike me as the sort to go all stalkerish."

"Oh. Tamra. Morgan and Tamra. Right. Yes, we should definitely monitor that. Yeah." Relief flooded through Danny. Maybe they could keep this little secret for a while longer.

"Okay, then, just keep an eye on them and let me know if we need to talk to them about anything."

Danny agreed and hurried back to his office so he could settle himself down. This thing with Mindy had his head spinning for the last couple of weeks, and eventually, they were going to have to confront things. But for now, spending their evenings together while they ignored their feelings during the day was going to have to do. At least he could be alone in his office till his next appointment and maybe stop thinking about Mindy for a day.

He opened his top desk drawer, the one he kept current files and paperwork in, and was just reaching in to grab a folder when he spotted them. Black silk, lace trim, a tiny pink bow, and a post it note that read "Your turn."

Danny grinned and slipped the panties into his pocket. Maybe he could stop thinking about Mindy for a day, but no, today would not be the day.

**Author's note - thank you all who take the time to read and extra thanks to those who review. Even the critical ones are appreciated. About that - the first story in this series got a review stating the story was too wordy and Mindy doesn't talk like that. Point taken, but let me explain my thoughts on how I wrote it. I have written a few first person stories in Mindy's POV and they are generally the light, dare I say ditsy voice that we see on the show. However, I feel like characters can have more than one voice. Mindy on the show is presenting a persona, where she is younger and hipper than she really is, but in reality she is a well educated woman in her thirties who graduated med school. The voice we run in our head can be very different from the voice we present to the world. We haven't seen much on the show that is a serious or introspective Mindy but I believe that it isn't out of line to expect her internal voice to differ from what she shows to the world. I do wish the guest who commented had finished the entire piece, but they probably aren't even reading this. Even so, I totes apprecsh that they took the time to give me feedback, as I appreciate every review. I do find first person tougher than third person as far as finding the characters voice goes, and Danny hardest of all, which is why I've never attempted to write that.**

**Seven weeks, peeps!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Danny. _Danny_! Wake up." Mindy was flipping channels in the hospital lounge while her sweaty Italian man slumbered, his head in her lap. She nudged him by bouncing her thigh.

"Hrmh. What?" Danny awoke and sat up with a confused look.

"You're drooling on me."

"When did you get here?" He didn't even remember falling asleep. He scooted over so their thighs were touching and slipped his arm behind her back to rest on her hip. Mindy snuggled against him, resting her head on his chest. Their little quiet moments of relaxing and just enjoying each other had been few and far between lately, as the other two doctors in the practice had been laid up with the flu for a week.

"Oh, I got called in for Mrs. Marshall like an hour ago, but she's barely dilated. Nervous first time mom - could be a while still. Why are you here? Did you go home at all?"

"Nope. That's why I was sleeping. Haven't been home since yesterday morning." Danny felt the exhaustion of the day threaten to overcome him again. These long shifts were meant for young, eager interns, and he was definitely feeling his age tonight. He threaded his fingers with Mindy's and held her hand, a simple gesture that always got her heart racing.

"Jesus, Danny! No wonder you didn't come over. I was trying not to get insulted." She looked up at him and knit her brows in concern, then settled back in against him.

"I texted you - you weren't being neglected."

"Yeah, but I wish I'd known you were stuck here so long. I would have brought you something or just kept you company."

Danny pressed his lips to the top of her head. "It's okay, I was pretty much busy nonstop, and when I wasn't, I was sleeping. I'd have made lousy company."

"Hmm... It's been a while but I seem to remember sleeping with you was actually pretty good company." She jabbed her elbow into his side and arched her back so she could look up at him seductively while simultaneously jutting out her chest.

"Ha ha, it hasn't been that long."

"Danny, I'm literally growing cobwebs. I actually had to pull out old Mr. Happy the other night." Mindy's sometime companion had been collecting dust in her drawer for the last few months, replaced by a much livelier, if grumpier, substitute.

"Well, you let me recover from this allnighter, and maybe I can pull another one." Danny gave her his best side-eyed grin, the one that made her weak in the knees.

"Really, old man? You think you can go all night?"

"I'm willing to try."

"I'm going to take you up on that. So when are you going home? I've got at least an hour to spare." Danny shook his head; he knew what that twinkle in her eye meant.

"Min... I'm exhausted. I'd be no good to you now. Let me sleep..."

"You don't have to do a thing, mister. Just lie back and enjoy the ride." Mindy disentangled her hand from his and laid in on his thigh, slowly drawing it up till she reached his lap. She gazed up at him and licked her lips.

"Not here, Min!" Danny's voice was strangled but he was smiling. They had kept their trysts out of the workplace with remarkable restraint, though they stole the occasional kiss behind closed office doors and once - just once - he made it to third base in the hot pipe room. They were almost caught that time.

"Of course not. I'm just making sure the horse is good to go."

"No, I think in this metaphor, you're the horse."

"Shut up! I can't be the horse if I'm on top. Duh!" Mindy giggled.

"You know, I'm okay being the horse. I just need some oats or something."

"Sugar cubes." Mindy grinned, and with a quick glance to make sure no one was approaching, she tugged at the drawstring of Danny's scrub pants and slipped her hand inside.

"Min! We're in public!" Danny hissed.

"I know..." She reached for him anyway, curling her fingers around him. He was already sporting a semi and he groaned at her delicate touch. "It's just been so long, baby, and I've been so lonely... And there's a perfectly quiet on call room..." She writhed and rubbed her body against him, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

Danny was a strong man, but she was hard to resist, and he gave in. He grabbed a pillow to cover his lap and leaned over, kissing Mindy deeply. His other hand skimmed up under her scrub top to cup a breast.

"Okay, stop, we have to stop." He murmured against her throat.

"There's nobody around, Danny. It's two am."

He shook his head and begrudgingly removed Mindy's hand from his pants. "Come on, Min. We aren't teenagers, and as exciting as it may be to risk getting caught, actually getting caught is not sexy at all."

"Ugh. Fine. At least you can kiss me, right? You're not too shy about that?" Mindy wrapped her arms around Danny's neck and pulled him down to kiss her again. No sooner had his tongue slipped past her lips than they were interrupted by a buzzing pager.

"Oh geez, Mrs. Marshall, your baby is not coming yet! Can't you just relax and let me make out with my boyfriend!" Mindy grimaced and turned to Danny, who had a goofy grin. "What!?"

"Nothing." He looked away, still smiling.

"Danny, don't be lame. Why are you happy we were interrupted?" Mindy's pout was real now.

"No, it's not that. It's just... you haven't used that term before."

"Make out? Um, like every day since the seventh grade."

"No... You called me your boyfriend." He looked at her with an almost shy expression.

"Okay... Is that bad? We've been together like two months, I'm trying not to rush things. Are you dating anyone else, Danny?!" Mindy poked him in the chest with mock indignation.

"Shut up, you know I'm not. It's nice. I like it."

"Okay. You scared me for a minute, weirdo." She slipped her arms back around him and played with the fine, soft hairs on the back of his neck. He grinned and leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.

"Yeah, but I'm your weirdo. I'm gonna head home. Go deliver that baby and come over after." He squeezed her knee and stood up.

"Okay, but I have appointments in the morning and there's nobody to cover me. I'll probably just shower and sleep, no time for funny business." Mindy sat back on the couch, tucking her feet up under her.

"I don't need much time."

"Oh hell no, mister. When you do me, you do me right!" She threw a pillow at him, which he barely deflected back at her.

"You just wanted to jump my bones! And I'm half dead!" He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Yes, I was giving you an excuse, buddy. That's how desperate I am. But that was a one time offer and you denied me!"

"You know what? I highly doubt that. See you soon, I hope." He leaned over to give her a goodbye kiss, and she took the opportunity to grab his ass.

"Yeah, yeah. Go get your beauty sleep, princess. If I get that baby out soon enough, it's on." She patted him on the butt as he turned away. "Keep walking, baby. I hate to see you go but I love to watch you leave."

He shook his head as he walked away. Boyfriend. How about that.


	4. Chapter 4

"How about Aruba? It's both beautiful _and_ fun to say!" Mindy was sitting at Danny's desk, googling interesting vacation spots. Danny had finally relented and agreed to take a week off, though Mindy suspected his hesitancy was because it felt like a rather big leap in their relationship. Now that they were "out" at the office, she felt like they might as well take advantage of being able to take off together.

They just had to agree on where. Mindy had ruled out anywhere cold, and Danny was afraid of anywhere the water was "funky."

"I don't want to have to get a passport." Danny sat at his keyboard, quietly tapping out a nondescript tune.

"You don't have a passport? Seriously?" Of course Mindy hadn't had one until her trip to Haiti. She could still feel superior.

"I like the United States, so sue me." Danny replied.

"Ugh, you can like a place and still travel away from it on occasion, Danny." Mindy frowned and mentally crossed off the entire world from her to-do list.

"If you want to go somewhere kind of exotic, we could do Puerto Rico." Danny gave her a crooked smile, his eyes twinkling. Mindy was immediately incensed.

"Um, no, you've done enough Puerto Rico, thank you very much. I'm not taking you to a beach full of toasty brown hotties." Not that she wouldn't mind if the eye candy was male, but she wasn't taking that chance.

Danny laughed. "I'm pretty sure any beach we go to will have some shade of hottie."

"Yeah, but you have a history, mister." Mindy got up and joined Danny on the tiny bench, bumping him with her hip to scoot him over.

"You're right, I am _wildly_ attracted to toasty brown." He slipped his arm around her waist and buried his face in her hair, nuzzling the warm skin on her neck.

"While I appreciate that very much, we need to pick a spot. It shouldn't be this hard to figure out, Danny! When was the last time you took a real vacation? And LA doesn't count."

"You know, I hadn't thought of it before, but that's not a bad idea. We could do a west coast trip, maybe hit some vineyards, I know you'd like that. Maybe go up the coast to San Francisco."

"That sounds pretty romantic, Danny. I like." She curled into his body and gazed up at him. He swallowed nervously.

"We could maybe even swing by my Dad's place, visit with my sister."

"What?! Who is this?" Mindy took Danny's face in her hands and mimed a pulling motion. "Take off this lifelike rubber face mask and tell me what have you done with the real Danny Castellano?!"

Danny batted her hands away. "Hey, knock it off. You should be happy that I'm becoming more... emotionally... mature."

"God it makes me hot when you quote Dr. Phil." She grabbed his thigh and squeezed. "Seriously though, it's great. I take full credit."

"You can take a little credit, sure." He gave her a gentle nudge with his shoulder.

Mindy was not amused. "Excuse me? Which one of your previous girlfriends was able to crack your hardened exterior and get to your gooey sweet insides?"

"I really don't like it when you compare me to a Cadbury egg, Min."

"Not the point. Did you develop emotional maturity with Eyepatch? With Amy? Hmmm?" Mindy fixed him with her best steely glare, which was barely a glare at all. Danny was still uncomfortable.

"Okay, stop reciting my exes. It's just going to lead to you bringing up your exes, and then I'm going to have those... stomach issues again." Danny wasn't kidding. There wasn't enough Febreze in the world to freshen up the bathroom that week.

"Oh no. We can't have that again. I've been banned from using the liquor store bathroom."

"So, then, we should do this." Danny looked at her thoughtfully. "Two days in LA, three tops. That should leave you little time for getting in Bradley Cooper's hair."

"Uh, it's not his hair I want to get into!" Mindy grinned and gave a exaggerated wink.

"Gross. Okay, we rent a car..."

"His pants, Danny. I want to get into his pants."

"Would you stop? We rent a car..."

"Oh come on. Have you heard him speak French?"

"As I was saying, we rent a car in LA, spend a few days in Napa Valley..."

Mindy interrupted again. "Oh God, yes! Days of drinking wine and humping, now that's a vacation. Let's go tomorrow!"

"We're going next month like we planned. But you can come over tonight and practice." Mindy giggled in response. "Then after Napa we go up to San Francisco, and we can fly out from there."

"For this being a brand new idea out of absolutely nowhere, you sure seem to have given this a lot of thought." Mindy said suspiciously. Danny turned red and shrugged.

"Okay, okay, just go do your Mindy magic and get this all planned out."

"And by Mindy magic, you mean get Betsy to do it, right?" Danny just nodded. "Okay, but you need to practice some appropriate theme music on the piano."

Danny rolled his eyes. He started to play a slow and slightly off tune version of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

"Ugh, Danny that's a breakup song! So not appropriate." She pouted. Danny chuckled and changed to a more uptempo song - "I Love LA."

"Do you seriously not know any song written after I was born? Here, I will show you my expertise." Mindy pushed his hands off the keyboards and attempted to play "Born This Way" but having no musical experience, she resorted to "Chopsticks" before flinging her hands in the air.

"Okay so I should stick to singing and not playing music. You don't have to say it." She stood up haughtily and smoothed out her skirt.

"Okay. Hey, Min." Danny was just smiling at her wistfully.

"Whaaaat, Danny? I have a lot of planning to do!"

Danny took a deep breath, then exhaled and swallowed hard.

"I love you."

"I know." Mindy smiled at him sweetly and turned to walk away.

"Mindy." Danny spoke with an annoyed tone. "Seriously?"

Mindy turned back to him. "Oh, sorry, does little Mr. Emotional Maturity need to hear it back?" She put her hands on his broad shoulders and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I love you, Danny. I am truly, madly, deeply in love with you. I choo-choo-choose you."

"You are such a brat." Danny was grinning from ear to ear.

Mindy swung around to sit on his lap, or at least half on his lap, half on the tiny bench. "Isn't that why you love me?"

"It actually is not." Danny corrected her with a kiss.

"I know, it's my sparkling personality and rockin bod. And probably that thing I do with my tongue..."

"Mindy..."

"Shhhh... You're getting better at saying it, Danny. I'm very proud of you. You barely looked like you had to stress barf at all this time."

"I don't stress barf, Mindy."

"Okay, whatever." She laid her hand on Danny's and ran her thumb across his lips. "Have I ever told you how much I appreciate whatever genetic lottery you won when it comes to these?" She leaned in and kissed him softly. "Oh, the things they can do..."

Danny grinned. "Hey, like I told you, I work with what I've got."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, uh, Mindy..."

Mindy looked up from her laptop, recognizing the particular tone in Danny's voice that meant he was about to go on a rant.

"Do you think, when you use something up, you could, I don't know, throw it away? Instead of putting the empty bottle back on the shelf?" He stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but a towel loosely slung around his hips. In his hand he held an empty shampoo bottle. "The milk, the shampoo... come on."

"Well how are you supposed to know you need to buy more then?" Mindy smiled innocently and set the laptop aside. "God damn, you're a sexy man. Go put some clothes on before I lose my mind."

"Maybe you could just tell me?" He grimaced and went back into the bathroom to throw it in the trash. "I don't use stuff up at your place."

"That's because you never GO to my place." She matched his cranky expression with her own. She could usually seduce him out of his moods, but now she felt herself getting moody too. It's not like he couldn't tell the damned shampoo was about to run out when it was half water anyway.

"Yeah, well, I mean, I'm closer to work. It's just easier." Danny called out.

"And you hate my apartment." She shouted back at him.

"I don't hate it. It's... fine." He sounded distracted.

"You hate it. The water pressure in the shower is too low, I don't get your cable channels, you hate running into Heather in the lobby..." Mindy was counting off his complaints on her fingers when he walked back into the doorway.

"That last one is all you. Min?" Danny's voice was shaky. "Do we need to talk?"

Dangling from his fingers was another bit of garbage - one that Mindy had taken extra care throwing out, folding it multiple times and burying it in the bottom of the can.

She went scarlet. "Danny, I hid that in the trash for a reason."

"I throw out the trash for a reason." He gazed at her with an unspoken question in his eyes.

"It was negative, Danny. You may begin breathing again."

"I wasn't holding my breath... was I?" Danny disappeared into the bathroom and returned in a t-shirt and boxers. He joined her in the bed, concern still etched on his face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was late, Danny. I didn't want you to freak out. I shouldn't have taken it here... How can I forget you categorize your trash?"

Danny was still frowning. "These aren't always reliable. You need to take a blood test in the morning."

"No, I don't. That was three days ago. I'm good now. Everything has resumed normal function." She gestured to her less than flattering ensemble of sweatpants and oversized t-shirt. "I'd think you'd recognize my "it ain't happening tonight" outfit."

Danny grinned half-heartedly. "You could have told me. I wouldn't have freaked out."

Mindy rolled her eyes. "You're freaking out right now, weirdo. It's no big deal. I figured it was just because I quit the pill, but I had to check just in case your hyper-potent wigglies busted through." She picked at a cuticle. "Maybe I should just go back on it..."

"You don't have to do that."

"I hate having the hassle. You're too old to have to use those things like a teenager."

"I'm fine with it." Danny crossed his arms over his chest.

"They're so not spontaneous though. I liked feeling reckless even when we weren't... Maybe I'll just use something else."

Danny grinned for real this time. "I'm Catholic, we can use the rhythm method." This made Mindy bust out a laugh.

"There's a reason Catholics have so many kids, Danny. And you might have fabulous rhythm, but, no." She rolled over on her side and propped herself up on her elbow. "You're a terrible, sinful Catholic anyway."

"Hey, I'm good with the big guy upstairs. I go to mass, I go to confession." Danny faked indignation.

"You go downtown."

"Not tonight." They both looked disappointed.

Mindy perked up quickly. "You can make it up to me next week!"

Danny leaned back against the headboard and laughed. There was a moment of silence, and Mindy rolled onto her back and kicked at the coverlet, pulling the sheet up to her neck. She stared up at the ceiling, feeling a weight on her chest that hadn't been there earlier.

"You know...It wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world. If you were..."

Mindy slowly turned her head and looked at him with a horrified expression. "WHAT?"

He looked so serious that it made her stomach do funny flip flops. "I just mean... We're adults, Min. We can deal with things together. It happens..." His voice trailed off as he leaned over to softly kiss her. She still looked horrified when he pulled away.

"Come on, you've never thought about it? I find that hard to believe."

Mindy nodded. "I was thinking a lot about it two days ago, Danny. But other than that... Are you saying you've thought about it?"

"Of course." He sighed. "This is the longest relationship either of us has had in, well, a long time."

Mindy heart pounded and she looked back up at the ceiling. "This is probably not a conversation we should be having right now."

"Huh. I guess I don't know you as well as I thought. I figured you'd run with it..." Danny ran a hand through his hair and continued watching her face.

"Do you not think it's taking every fiber of my being to NOT do that? Danny, my mind will go places if I let it, and I really don't think you want to deal with me then."

"You don't think my mind goes places too?"

"Uh, not the same places, Danny. Not by a long shot."

"How do you know?"

"Oh, let's see. When you see a cute barista at Starbucks, do you immediately start thinking about how your babies would look?" She saw in his expression that the answer was no. "Okay, that's a complete stranger who happens to have great dimples. We've been together months, Danny. Imagine what happens in my weird-ass brain if I let it."

"You've already named our kids?"

"I'm filling out applications for prep school."

Danny laughed and reached for her. "Mindy, this is not a shock to me. I'm well aware of your tendency to get carried away." She curled into his embrace, tucking her head neatly beneath his and wrapping her arm around his waist. "It's okay. We're okay."

"I just don't want to wreck this, Danny." Her voice cracked.

He pulled back slightly and tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Hey. You're not wrecking anything."

She melted a little under his gaze. His expression darkened and he looked down at her lips, then swept his glance lower before returning to her face.

"Okay, big guy. Are you trying to get me pregnant with your eyes? Because that's not how it works."

"Hey, if I'm gonna make you pregnant, it's gonna be the fun way." He grinned at her.

"God, Danny, you're killing me." She kissed him quickly then returned to snuggle in his arms.

"I do think about it, though." Danny murmured against her hair. "It scares the shit out of me how much I love you."

"That's so romantic, Danny. You have such a way with words."

"They can't all be gems, Min. But look - you need to promise me when stuff is going on, whatever it is, you will talk to me. I know it's not my strong suit, the talking part. But I'm a good listener, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I will. I love you. And I promise I'll throw out the milk cartons from now on." Mindy closed her eyes and felt herself drifting to sleep.

"Hey, Min?" Danny shook her slightly.

"Hmmmm?"

"That story about the barista with dimples. Is he a real guy?"

"Yeah, but he's not a man. Go to sleep."


	6. Chapter 6

"You're wearing that?"

Danny walked into the bathroom where Mindy was leaning over the sink, applying her mascara. The dress she was wearing was sparkling cobalt blue, tight and scandalously short. Danny admired the view.

Mindy turned from the mirror and glared at him.

"You aways do this! Why don't you go shopping with me if you want to tell me what to wear."

"I'm not telling you what to wear. I was just asking because it's a little..." He raised an eyebrow and gave her a once over.

"Incredibly fucking hot?" Mindy grinned at him through the mirror. He nodded in response, one side of his mouth twisting up in a lopsided smile.

"So you do like the dress?" She had pulled her hair up in a simple chignon and half turned to Danny as she asked the question. This gave him the chance to see the front was rather low cut as well.

"I'd like it better at a club... or on the bedroom floor." He stepped up behind her and put his hands on her bare shoulders before pressing his lips to the back of her neck.

"So cheesy, Danny. Like a Wisconsin football game level of cheese." She giggled and leaned back toward the mirror to finish her makeup. This had the added benefit of her ass pressing against Danny's groin, not entirely unintentionally.

"Hey, a reference that isn't pop culture! I like it. You're growing as a person." Danny slipped his hands to her hips.

"Apparently so are you, and we do not have time for that. Especially if I have to change!"

"I can help..." Danny slid down the zipper on her dress, following it with a trail of kisses. Mindy shuddered and pulled away.

"Seriously? Keep it in your pants." She turned and pressed her hand to his cheek. "Plenty of time for that when we get home."

Danny smiled and turned to lay a kiss on her palm. "Can't blame a guy for trying. Especially when you're dressed like that..."

She laughed and squeezed his cheeks, then fluffed her hand through his hair. "Danny, when did you last get a haircut? You're looking awfully shaggy."

"I thought you liked me shaggy." Danny grinned.

"Um, I think it's the other way around?" She smirked as she headed back to her closet. "Danny, don't you want to come and coach me through the selection process?"

He followed her. "I'm just coming to watch you change."

"Perv. Do you want to hide behind the door and spank it?" She gave him a wicked grin.

"You know me so well."

Mindy pulled out one of her classic, demure little black dresses and held it up for Danny. "This one?"

He shrugged. "I like it. But... how about red?"

"You do have a thing for the red ones... this?" She held up one that she knew he liked, simple and sexy but not too much. He gave a thumbs up.

"I guess I shouldn't flaunt my hot bod, under the circumstances. I'm really surprised we got invited at all." Mindy remarked as she carefully stepped out of the rejected dress and into the Danny-approved one.

"I'm not. You of all people should get it. He wants you to see he got over you."

"Zip me, babe." She turned her back to him. "So quick, though. I can't believe he's marrying the rebound girl. Damn, maybe I'm Magic Mindy."

Danny just chuckled as he zipped her up, then leaned against the doorway and slowly shook his head, arms crossed.

"What?" She said, turning back and giving him a quizzical look.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking... I'm _your_ rebound guy." He had an odd expression and it kind of freaked Mindy out.

"What? No, you're not."

"You were just dumped when I... made my move."

"Oh poo, that doesn't count. You basically stole me from him." Her mouth curled up in a tiny smile. "Besides, you're never going to marry me. You yelled that on the train once."

He held her gaze. "Never say never."

Mindy swallowed the huge lump that had formed in her throat. They hadn't broached the subject of marriage. In fact, they still hadn't officially moved in together, though Mindy hadn't spent a night at her own place in months. Rishi had been staying there since summer. It hasn't been without issue, this recent domesticity, but they had managed to keep the arguments at home infrequent, and it was always fun making up.

She wanted more, something concrete - not a proposal, it really was too soon for that - but even just acknowledgement from him that they were kinda sorta living together would be reassuring. She assumed even just the mention of marriage, even as a someday, maybe, kind of thing, would send Danny running for the hills. Maybe she was wrong.

"Hey. We should get going. We need to be there just late enough to make an statement." Mindy broke off the eye contact and turned away to look for the right pair of shoes.

"It's even more of a statement if we don't show up." Danny said softly, his eyes twinkling. "I'm sure we can figure out something to do with our time."

"What statement would that be, Danny? I'm too chickenshit to show up at my ex's engagement party?" She slipped on a pair of spike heels, resting one hand on Danny's shoulder for balance.

"How about I'm so in love with my man that I can't bother to show up at silly social events." He mimicked her in a goofy, high pitched voice as he put his hands on her waist, to steady her, and also because he really enjoyed touching her.

"That doesn't sound like me, Danny. I don't talk like that." She grinned and grabbed him by the tie. "Besides, you know what they say, show, don't tell. Now let me fix my lipstick and we can go. Just to make an appearance."

"Min, your lipstick looks fine."

Mindy pulled him closer and gave him a long, slow, kiss.

"Damn, woman. You're just making it harder." Danny murmured against her neck.

"That's what she said." She giggled.

"You are such a nut job." He pulled back and ran his thumb across her lower lip, which hadn't even smeared.

"That's why you love me." She gently bit at his thumb.

"It's one of the reasons." He kissed her on the nose and stepped back, taking her hand to lead her out.

"And you're going to tell me all the rest of the reasons on the way? Oh goody."

"Uh uh, no way. You want me to wait till we get home, you're gonna wait too."

"Hmph!" Mindy stopped to grab her handbag and take one last glance in the mirror. "Hey, you got the keys, right?"

Danny jingled his pocket. "Oh, hey, that reminds me." He darted off into the kitchen and returned back with a small paper bag, the contents of which he tossed to Mindy. "Here."

She caught it one handed, surprisingly adeptly, and peered at what lay on her palm - a cheap plastic license plate keychain that said "Mandy" with a set of keys.

"Well this is... surprisingly inaccurate. Danny, you do know how to spell my name, right?"

He gave her an exasperated look. "You said yourself you can't find your name on those things. That wasn't really the point, Min."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Keys. To my place...our place. I thought you'd want 'em." He caught the gleeful look in her eye and got a little tongue tied. "And I'm sick of you losing mine."

Mindy felt her heart beating just a little faster. King of the small gestures, her Danny was. She smiled, trying not to make it too broad. "Thank you. I'll try not to lose them."

Danny grabbed her coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. "No worries. I made five sets."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note - Season Three! So awesome!**

The music came to an end just after their bodies stopped moving together, so the only sound in the room was from their rapid breathing. Mindy insisted on a mix of slow jams with the occasional Beyoncé for good measure, because she couldn't deal with silence when they were together. Too many funny noises.

Danny was staring at her as they lay in the afterglow, pulses returning to a normal rhythm.

"You are so beautiful when you come." He murmured in a voice so low and sexy, she was halfway there again. He lazily slid a hand through her now tangled hair and rubbed a strand between his fingers.

If only she could return the compliment - Danny's o-face looked like he was trying to solve calculus problems while constipated. She just smiled at him. "Thank you."

"I mean, you're always beautiful. It's just, you look so completely free... I love it."

Danny had been waxing sentimental a lot lately. She wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but things were shifting between them yet again. Part of it was happening here, in their bed - sometimes they had sex, sometimes they fucked, but now more and more they were truly making love. Danny worshipped at the altar of Mindy, and she was a kind and benevolent goddess.

But Danny didn't usually spend a lot of time talking afterwards.

"Hey, you know Stevie's mom is dying." He exhaled and looked away, suddenly much more vulnerable looking than she had ever seen him. "I mean, she has some time, but still..."

Mindy stroked Danny's face and he raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I know, hon. It's never easy. Is he taking good care of her?"

"Yeah, but it's tearing him up. I told him I'd come out next weekend, talk to them."

"Okay. I'll come with you if you want me to" She leaned closer and snaked her arm around his torso. He nodded in response.

"Your mom is healthy as a horse, so don't go thinking..."

Danny chuckled and gave her a wry smile. "I know, she's fine, but you know, nobody lives forever."

"Well if anyone could, it would be her." Mindy slipped her hand off his back and reached for his, intertwining their fingers. "Are you worried about her?"

"No, I mean, not more than usual or anything." He squeezed her hand. "It just makes you more aware... how time passes." He paused. "I'm about to be 40."

Mindy bit her lip. For all the teasing she did that Danny was an old man, it was really more about his attitude than his calendar age. She hadn't considered athat maybe the upcoming event was significant to him.

"Is that what this is about, Danny? You're feeling over the hill?" She said it lightly, because she didn't want him to close himself off if he was reacting to the age thing. He had become so much more willing to express himself, though it was still an uphill battle to get him to discuss his feelings. But as they got closer, she saw parts of him that he was more comfortable sharing - his ridiculous fits of giggles, usually at her expense, for example. It never happened except in private, but it was adorable how he couldn't catch his breath or compose himself once he got started.

He sighed. "No, it's not that, exactly. It's just... It's kind of a milestone. I guess I thought I'd be more... established." He looked at her and smiled crookedly, almost shyly. "I haven't exactly left my mark on the world."

Mindy frowned. "You're crazy. Most people don't accomplish half what you already have in their whole life! You're an amazing doctor, you have a freaking hot girlfriend..."

Danny rolled his eyes. "I know, but Min. I look at lady bits all day, I'm not curing cancer."

"Okay, hello, let's try not to disparage the profession we both share." She pulled her hand free and slapped him lightly on the cheek. "Women's health is a very important issue. We prevent disease, we save lives, and we bring new ones into the world. That's pretty damn cool."

He grabbed her hand back and pressed it to his chest. "Yes, you're right, it is cool."

"Babies, Danny, we are responsible for their safe passage into the world. I'd say that's leaving a mark!" She grinned at him. "What's better than a baby?"

His expression suddenly became serious, and he took a deep breath. "Nothing..." He was gazing at her with a crazy intensity that left her feeling unsettled, especially as he was slowly rubbing his thumb on her wrist. "Nothing's better than babies." His voice cracked on the last word.

Mindy's chest was tight. It had been quite a while since that topic had reared its head, and that was after a near miss situation. She couldn't read Danny's expression, but it looked almost wistful, and she couldn't breathe.

"Danny." She managed to squeak out, and he smiled and squeezed her hand again. "Do you mean... us? Having a baby?"

"Well, I'm just... I mean... I didn't mean today..." He was stumbling on his words, something he often did when the conversation was too intimate.

"Well that's good, because I don't think I could quite manage that." She bit her lip nervously. Suddenly this was the scariest thing in the world, because if Danny was actually bringing it up, and was willing to talk about it, it was real. "Do you really think... Would I be a good mom? I know you'd be a great dad, Danny. But I'm... I can be a little self absorbed at times."

His face crinkled into a wide grin and he buried it against her shoulder to keep from laughing out loud.

"Stop laughing, Danny! You're supposed to reassure me and tell me I'm not."

He pulled back and looked at her, still holding back. "So, you want me to lie to you?"

"Ugh, Danny!" She tried to wrestle free of his grasp but he refused to let her hand go.

"Seriously, Min. You'll be an amazing mom. You have so much love to give..."

She felt tears sting at her eyes. His compliments were always appreciated, but somehow this one was the sweetest. "Geez, Danny. I don't even..."

He kissed her then, softly and swiftly, then kissed each of her closed eyes before tucking her head under his chin. She smiled against his neck before kissing and then nipping at it.

"Ow!" He pulled back in mock indignation. "I was being all sensitive and you bit me!"

"Sorry." Mindy sighed, soothing his skin with her hand before looking back up at him. "You really surprise me, Danny. You're so old fashioned - I wouldn't have thought you'd want kids without marriage."

Danny looked at her like she had two heads. "I don't. Mindy, what do you think we're talking about here?"

The tightness in her chest was back, or maybe it never left. "Us. Having a child."

His eyes softened and he looked hesitant, maybe a little confused. "Okay... maybe I... We... I shouldn't have assumed..." He stammered and stopped, his eyes searching hers.

"Danny, darling, I love you, but you have got to learn to use words sometimes. I can't read your mind." She usually could, actually, but with something like this it was far too risky.

He swallowed hard. "I thought we wanted the same thing. Am I wrong?"

Mindy smiled. "I don't know. What do you want?" She was dying under the intensity of his gaze, but unless he said the words, she wasn't going to let herself go there.

She waited as he seemed to gear up to speak.

"I want to... I want to marry you, Mindy."

The sting was back behind her eyes again. Dammit, if this man couldn't pack a punch when he finally decided to talk.

"Okay, then. You weren't wrong." She grabbed his face and kissed him before the sob tore out of her throat. They kissed till they rain out of air, and then Mindy clung to him as she inhaled, shuddering.

"Okay." Danny finally spoke again. "So, that's out there. Glad we had this little talk." He grinned at her.

Mindy felt like her head was too fuzzy to think. "So how long have you been wanting to talk about this?"

"Oh, a while. Remember when we were on that airplane..."

"Shut up." She giggled and pushed at him. "Be serious."

"Okay. It has been a while, but I can't say exactly when. I just know that somewhere along the line, I knew I wanted us to be forever."

"Oh god, Danny, that is like right out of a movie." She was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt.

"Is that bad?"

"No! I love it. I love you. Let's fly to Atlantic City and get hitched next weekend."

"No, I gotta go to Staten, remember?" He said, looking all serious and sincere.

"I was kidding. You would, seriously? We're not doing that, but..."

"I would, if that's what you wanted. I'm glad it's not, though."

Mindy curled back up against him, wanting to just feel his skin on hers. "You know what Cliff said to me, at his party?"

"Hmmm?" Danny tensed a little.

"He cornered me when I came out of the bathroom and told me he thought it would be me that he'd be marrying. I was a little... taken aback." She wasn't sure why she hadn't told Danny this before.

"Wow. Do you think he meant it? Or was he just trying to twist the knife a little?"

"Probably both. I don't think that he loved me, but he was obviously feeling ready for marriage, since he dated Karen for like three months before he proposed."

Danny was quiet for a moment. "Would you have?"

"Married him? Probably." Mindy realized that kind of sounded awful, considering she just told Danny she wanted to marry him, but honesty was important to them both.

"Huh." Was Danny's enigmatic reply.

"But... I didn't know." She said quietly.

"Didn't know he would marry you?" Danny's voice was flat, and she sensed that was hurtful to him, though she hadn't meant for it to be.

She looked up, finding his eyes, with another inscrutable expression.

"I didn't know what I would have missed." She smiled and touched his face, stroking his cheek and jaw. "I didn't know I'd have love. I didn't really know what love was, till now."

Danny nodded. "I think I know what you mean." He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her on top of him.

"Hey now!" She giggled. "I don't think I'm quite ready to make that baby, dude."

"No reason we can't practice."

Mindy stopped him as his hands made their way south. "Hold that thought!" She reached over to her iPod and started the playlist over again.


End file.
